Hey all,
This is my first time posting on CG society ( or any forum for that matter!) But entering DW3 is a good reason to join! I'll start posting some roughs and thumbnails soon!

I'm pretty busy in March but I'm still going to try and finish for the April deadline...
In the meantime here's my site:
www.vinodrams.com (http://www.vinodrams.com)

Looking forward to the competition!
-Vin

Deep-Wulf

02-20-2008, 04:49 PM

Welcome aboard, and may the polys be with you.

To WAAARRR!!!

Buckminster076

02-21-2008, 05:23 AM

Can't wait to see what your character is. :p
-I.

JediHindu

02-23-2008, 09:20 AM

Here are some initial sketches and reference for my character. I was inspired by the African Ground Hornbill when I was looking through some bird ref in my files at home. I liked the contrast of it's black feathers with the red gizzard area on it's neck. I also wanted to create an evil yet regal and beautiful character... so hopefully I can carry that through the development!

Still working out his story/background but here what I have for now:
Name: Antaka (a Sanskrit word meaning: death, causing death; Yama , king or lord of death.)

Class: Warlord
Artifact: Wields dual weapons with Darkness/ Void magic. His weapons are cursed, they cause great damage but also have symbiotic properties with him.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/teslar/DW3_REF.jpg

JediHindu

02-23-2008, 09:22 AM

Here's some roughs of his general body type...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/teslar/Roughs1.jpg

JediHindu

02-23-2008, 09:23 AM

Some roughs for his head!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/teslar/Roughs2.jpg

JediHindu

02-23-2008, 09:25 AM

And finally my first pass at his head! (my favorite part to draw/design!)

Of course comments and critiques are welcome!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/teslar/Head.jpg

SashaP

02-23-2008, 09:28 AM

I really like where his design is going, excellent job!

Art2

02-23-2008, 12:09 PM

Awesome drawing and cool concept.

Welcome to CGtalk!

fx81

02-24-2008, 04:23 AM

very nice start. i seen your concept work before and you have some very inspiring work.:thumbsup:

Thanks to all for the compliments!
I'm going to tackle his body next.. then start doing a bunch of iterations. I didn't need to do a TON of body shape thumbnails since I have a pretty clear idea of what I want this guy to look like. But its the little things that can alter the silhouette that I need to do iterations for.

Another thing I want to make sure I tackle is to make him an actual "character" not just a mindless monster but an actual "person". We'll see how that goes!

Rkhon

02-25-2008, 07:47 PM

Awesome character! I love his lean look and bird-like baddy design. Although he feels more fitting for a air-based race of creature more than dark/void to me from the current sketches right now. Gonna be watching this one, can't wait to see more!

wiFLP

02-25-2008, 11:54 PM

awesome lines, great concept - i like the head most, with nice curves but monstrous neck - like that contrast x).

Another thing I want to make sure I tackle is to make him an actual "character" not just a mindless monster but an actual "person".

thats a very important thing you mentioned there. i have seen lot of work that fail to achieve that unique character life or soul. none of yours though, they look quite alive to me :) i also think lot of that soul are in teh eyes of a character.

nathanmckenna

02-26-2008, 10:30 AM

this stuff is so sick, PLEASE give us a quick colour overlay on that head design. Would be so cool to see the amazing colours in the birds transposed to your design.

SirMitchell

02-28-2008, 08:43 AM

Wahoo! Loving the long neck Vinod...its so creepy and awesome. Looking forward to seeing this through.

SprayNation

02-29-2008, 11:57 PM

I love the triangular shapes jutting from his head! Pretty believable for a fictional creature (lol). It would be cool to see some middle eastern influences in his clothing. Or any eastern hemisphere touches :). Looks pretty promising Vinod!

StacyOgie

03-01-2008, 12:21 AM

Very Star Wars-y. His character just fits; he's so elegant looking. Fragile yet dangerous at the same time. Love it!

JediHindu

03-01-2008, 06:18 AM

Well I haven't had time to do any full body concepts but I have a sketch started for his chest area. Trying to play with the anatomy... obviously it's based on human anatomy but just stretching the pectoral muscles waaay across his shoulders.

It's a start! Also you can see a rough in for his belt area. Hmmm I think his head looks a bit big. Oh well!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/teslar/Body_WIP.jpg

And also just like nathanmckenna requested.... a quick play with color in PS. It's definetly not there yet but it's a start! I made his horns on his head larger. Everything was looking to much the same size before. I'm not sure if I want the rest of his body to be that dark/black. When i get the body rough done I'll have to test out colors then.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/teslar/Head_CLR_WIP.jpg

Well as I said in my first post I might only be putting in small baby steps for most of the month! Really busy with stuff right now. But DW is the carrot at the end of my stick!

-Vin

MarkDiokno

03-01-2008, 06:20 AM

Awesome sketches!:thumbsup:

Buckminster076

03-03-2008, 02:15 AM

Looking great Vinod! I like the fact that he looks kinda like a demon, but at the same time very noble.
I totally agree with your decision to make him a "character" with soul rather than just a cool looking monster.
Can't wait to see you hammer this one home! :wip:
-I.

JokerMax

03-03-2008, 07:44 PM

Looks very promising Vinod. Great to see you participating in DW.
Good luck :)

jocz

03-03-2008, 09:35 PM

very good design, bit starwars like,
good luck !

SirMitchell

03-04-2008, 08:10 AM

man vinod, I just love that front on shot! It just has so much character.

I also like the direction you are going with color, I didn't expect such a vibrant red, but that makes it all the better!

miscik

03-11-2008, 03:20 AM

your line-work is REALLY nice. i like the concept too. it looks bad ass, but it has some beauty to it as well. i also like the ancient quality to his skin. makes it look like he's been kicking ass for years.

kinonato

03-14-2008, 12:16 PM

I like your sketches, but from the later works, I thin,k the skin color could be brighter.

Hey guys, sorry for the lack of updates... but like I said March is bad month for me! But I will finish.. even if that means going nuts during that last week before we have to submit!

Here's a full body pic. I'm going to use this to figure out what his armor/costume will look like.
Also i have a cool (I think) idea for this artifact that doesn't involve it just being the two swords. So I have to concept that out too. And I'd like to figure out a few more weapon variations. I know I want that general shape but the handles and smaller details are what I need to play with.

Any crits on his anatomy, structure etc are welcome!

-Vin
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/teslar/Fullbody.jpg

SquirrelyJones

03-22-2008, 07:46 PM

eyes, nose, mouth... I think everything is in order here. That is one sexy, two toed hero beast!

danmason

03-25-2008, 02:27 PM

Just to second some of the other opinions...AWESOME line work man! would love to see your sketch book!

BadgerPirate

03-25-2008, 02:37 PM

Nice concept work, I'm looking forward to seeing more.

JediHindu

03-26-2008, 03:51 AM

Thanks for the compliments on the line work!

Here's some new stuff... still only making baby steps!
First off here's a revision to his legs. My wife (www.e-figart.com (http://www.e-figart.com) !!)noticed the strange right angle his knees were making looked wrong. His weight was off because of it. So after looking at some Ref and some help from her I fixed them. I think they work much better. It's still kinda awkward that he walks on his toes like that but I really like that idea so I'll just live with it. I might thicken or widen the toes.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/teslar/Fullbody_2.jpg

And here's an image for his arm design. Part of the artifact is going to run down his arm so I figured I should detail it out at some point. Also If I want to play with a different hand designs I can use this.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/teslar/arm.jpg

Hopefully some more posts tomorrow!

-Vin

elbenicio

03-30-2008, 01:39 AM

great line quality! keep up the good work.

Generalvivi

03-31-2008, 06:31 AM

Mojica mojica mojica .... mo..... jica.......

translation
( I approve )

walrus

03-31-2008, 07:08 AM

Really beautiful work so far - design, color, lines, it's all really nice. The only suggestion I can think of is that his upper arms seem relly stubby compared to everything else. So many forms on him - the neck, the legs - are all really elongated, which makes the upper arms seem like they don't quite measure up yet. Anyhow, nice stuff nonetheless. Good luck with the rest!

JediHindu

04-01-2008, 06:14 PM

Thanks Walrus! (your piece is amazing!)
Here's some costume designs... I already like #8 alot. But would love to hear any comments or suggestions. I'm leaving his chest bare becuase of the new idea I have for the artifact. Will post stuff on that soon!

But I know I wan to do the flowing robe thing, so it was just a matter of playing with shapes and lengths. Love to hear what you all think. The next posts I make will be for the artifact, since uh.. it's kind of imporant. I also have some roughs of the composition for my final image. I'm super busy this week but hope to get the whole weekend to really get some stuff done for my final images.

-Vin

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/teslar/costume_designs.jpg

Generalvivi

04-01-2008, 06:25 PM

I like #5 the best.

Brutikong

04-01-2008, 07:37 PM

I like the waist cloth from 9 although you lose the first knee in the folds... with the boot armor and neck piece from 4 .. and I think he can use some gauntlets but im not really feeling the ones you have there.. but I think he should have something on both arms..
Nice work Vinod..!!

walrus

04-02-2008, 03:45 AM

Nice designs, Vinod! I like 7 the most: It's got a more sophisticated article of clothing than many of the earlier ones. 8 attempts the same level of interest, but with those 2 round plates, I can't ever look at the midsection of 8 without seeing a face there. 9 just feels too bulky to me.

Even with 7 and 8, it would be nice to see the boots from some of the earlier versions. And I agree with Brutikong: It seems odd that he's only have one gauntlet given that he is a dual-wielder. (I could buy it if he fought with a single blade/sword/hook.)

But anyhow, no matter which one you choose, lovely wok so far! Your line work has a great flow to it. Some of these, especially my favorites, reming me of something Iain McCaig would do, and I love his work. Oh, and thanks, glad you like my entry, too!

Hideyoshi

04-04-2008, 10:13 PM

wow, this one is really nice! Hope you can finish!
Very unconventional design, love the elongated neck and the leg design!
About the robes: very hard to decide...
I like 4, 6, 8, 9 - guess it comes down to personal taste. :)

dragon4lunch

04-05-2008, 12:45 AM

Certainly one of my favourites here! Great entry! Looks like a Jedi concept.

The influence "The Art of Star Wars" books must have had on you is very visible. Your style immediatly reminded me of Terryl Whitlatch/Ian McCaig. I wish I was better at learning styles.

Blaschke

04-06-2008, 08:52 AM

I prefer the number 1. Great picture!

Keep it up.

JediHindu

04-08-2008, 01:19 AM

Thanks guys!
Yeah I hope I can finish too. I have a few good weeknights and lunch hours to work on this guy. I think I can do it. Been a busy month and Mr. Antaka here kept getting pushed to the back of my schedule!

Anyways the last group of random exploratory designs, now on to the final!

Here's the new direction for his artifact. Basically the idea is that he was impaled by this cursed stake by his enemies (or his own kind). The stake over time infected him with the darkness/void energy. It slowly grew down his arm and infused that arm with it's energy. So really only the weapon he holds in that arm does "artifact" damage! So you can see my messy rough of the stake through his chest. Also you can see the quick compositional drawing for the final image. More on that when I do the final drawing.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/teslar/stake_composition.jpg

Next are some iterations on the "chest stake":

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/teslar/Stake_iterations.jpg

And finally some ideas of the "infection" from the stake:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/teslar/infections.jpg

And yes, Ian McCaig was and still is a huge influence on me. When the art of Phantom Menace came out I was totally obsessed with his drawings. He gets a sense of gesture and life to his characters. My style is still much more cartoony compared to his realism but I'm flattered that some of my study of his art is paying off! He's of the best character designers around.

-Vin

SquirrelyJones

04-08-2008, 06:56 AM

I'm digging #1 for both chest steak and the infection. Maybe his infection could glow or something!

Generalvivi

04-08-2008, 03:09 PM

I'm diggin #3. :)

JediHindu

04-10-2008, 02:27 AM

WIP of the final pose...
And yes I'm aware I'm running down to the line with this! Haven't even touched the turnaround!!

He'll be "perched" atop a pillar. But the pillar will be an Akira-esque techy robo pillar!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/teslar/poseWIP.jpg

jttruong85

04-10-2008, 06:14 AM

I like your art style. Very nice concept as well. Hope you get finished in time.

SirMitchell

04-10-2008, 05:38 PM

Awesome pose Vinod, great use of space for such a stick thin character.

I got my fingers crossed that you will finish!

JediHindu

04-12-2008, 05:36 AM

Some progression on my finished color piece! I like how it's coming along but I'm really running down to the line! And I STILL need to do my model sheet!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/teslar/antaka_color1.jpg

Got the green backlighting down pat. Thanks to my non-forum friends that helped me with comments and critiques!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/teslar/Antaka_color2.jpg

Yes I will be a big ball of stress till this contest is over!

-Vin

JediHindu

04-13-2008, 04:34 AM

Well...
I finished!
I could've used more time of course, but as I've been whining throughout this thread I've had a busy month but I'm still happy I finished.

What I'm really happy with is my actual character. I like his design, and his silhouette value.

As for the images themselves:
The model sheet I think could use some detail drawings of his weapons etc. I like the side view, because it looks like he's alive, better than the front view. Also, I wasn't able to put as much love as I wanted into the "infected/cursed" arm to make it as distinct as I hoped.

As for the winning pose... I'm overall happy with it. I think I will probably polish it some more sometime soon so I can keep it as a portfolio piece.
But I really like how eeeeeevillll he looks!

I'd love to hear comments and critiques! And thanks to all who commented all along the way! I'll be signing up for next year for sure!
-Vin

Oh hell!! This is just it! Definitely One of the very few original pieces ive seen in this War so far.. I have been loving the head design ever since the first day, the props and artifacts are simply awesome, the rendering is just nice.. Not over rendered, just a personal liking i guess.. LOL! Im glad you made it man considering time constraints and stuff :D.. Its my honour to have been in this war with a great comrade like you! All the best to you!

RobThornely

04-28-2008, 05:51 PM

well done Vinod, love your character. Very Iain McCaig, and he is the best so that is high praise indeed.

JediHindu

05-15-2008, 05:49 PM

Well, I'm happy to say I made it into the top 50 for the 2d section!
I'm happy the initial judges liked my design even if the final pose didn't have all the polish I wanted to put into it!

I don't see my self getting into the top 20 prize winners but I'm very pleased that I made it past the first round of cuts! I like my character so I'm going to for my own portfolio take everything to a full polish finish.

Here you can see I've gone in and rendered out his robes, and codpiece area. Still need to make his arm look blatantly infected, detail out the spear going through his chest, and put some detail into the background and his weapons. I'd also like to put in some bounced light in from the front.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/teslar/Antaka_WIP1.jpg

Thanks to all who gave me suggestions on and off the forums! And I'll definetly be in line for DW4! I think I'll post future updates of Antaka in the regular CG talk section... easier to find I imagine.

-Vin

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